Cardinal Urosa calls on Catholics to pray for the bishops of Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela, May 28, 2009 / 10:11 pm (CNA).- In a message about the ad limina visit the bishops of Venezuela will make in June, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas encouraged Catholics to pray for their mission and for each of the county’s bishops.

“Following an ancient church tradition, all the bishops of the entire world periodically travel to Rome, the center of Catholicism, to pray before the tombs of Peter and Paul, to manifest and strengthen ecclesial communion with the Roman Pontiff, the ‘sweet face of Christ on earth,’ as well as with all of the Churches of the world,” the cardinal explained.

“We will visit the various offices of the Roman Curia that cooperate with the Supreme Pontiff in the activity and shepherding of the Universal Church, in order to exchange opinions and dialogue about diverse aspects of the life of the universal Church and of our Church in Venezuela, keeping in mind the reports that each bishop has sent ahead of time to the Holy See,” the cardinal said.

He called on “all the Catholic faithful to commend their bishops to God in a special way, so that we may live deeply and with the strength and determination of the Spirit, our episcopal mission as Successors of the Apostles and authentic and legitimate pastors of the Church in Venezuela.”